Valley in World Cricket Spotlight

Civic leaders and businessmen may be haggling over whether Los Angeles will get an NFL expansion team, but there’s one international sports organization that’s already chosen the city as its foremost venue in the United States: the International Cricket Council.

That’s right, cricket.

The upper-class British game similar to American baseball comes to Woodley Park today as the Indian and Australian national teams battle each other in the AXN American Challenge. AXN, part of the Sony television group, is the tournament sponsor, putting up $15,000 in prize money.

The two top-ranked teams in the world will play a best of five games series at a temporary stadium in the park’s southeast corner.

Organizers hope to draw a total of 10,000 fans to games that will be played today, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Another potential half-billion spectators worldwide are expected to tune in to the matches televised live in India, Australia, Pakistan and the United Kingdom.

“For the first time the international governing body has said that Los Angeles is part of the circuit,” said David Sentance, a spokesman for the Southern California Cricket Assn. “Fans will have the opportunity to see international players in their prime playing hard, aggressive cricket.”

While the top players aren’t exactly household names in America, in their homelands they are as popular as Shaquille O’Neal, Brett Favre and Sammy Sosa.

Australian team captain Adam Gilchrist led his squad to the International Cricket Council World Cup championship in June before millions of cheering fans in London.

Indian team captain V.S. Laxman’s batting average is four times higher than any of his teammates. The power hitter carried his team to the World Cup quarterfinals.

“This is the highest level of circuit play to be seen in the U.S.,” Sentance said. “The Aussies have an aggressive, take-it-to-you style. The Indian team has strong bowlers [pitchers]. It makes for an interesting contrast in playing styles.”

Well-known Australian announcer Ian Chappell will provide play-by-play analysis at each match for those unfamiliar with the rules of the game, organizers said.

For the most part, cricket is played much like its not-so-distant cousin baseball, organizers said. There’s a bat, ball, pitcher’s mound, batter’s box, ground balls and home runs.

Outs are called when runners are caught off base or when a fielder catches a fly ball.

Still, cricket has its own variations that set it apart.

A batsman stands in the middle of a circular field trying to guard one of two “wickets”--or bits of wood balanced atop a row of three poles--from a “bowler,” or pitcher.

The bowler runs toward the batsman and hurls the ball upward of 90 mph. The batsman tries to protect the wicket by hitting a “four” (ground ball) or a “sixer” (home run).

A champion batsman can whack balls for hours or days on end. That show of endurance and concentration wins high praise from fans.

Knowing that American spectators like faster-paced games, organizers said each match will run a decidedly shorter seven hours, beginning at 8 a.m.

Opening ceremonies are expected to get underway at 7:30 this morning at the park with Mayor Richard Riordan as the honored guest.

Tickets, which range from $10 to $15 a day, are available at the gate or online at scalcricket.org.

The Indian national team, dressed in bright blue uniforms, will then take the field opposite the Australian squad, decked out in canary yellow team gear.

By bringing the best players in the world to Los Angeles, organizers hope to raise the game’s profile among American sports fans.

“Once we get a foothold in Southern California, it will dictate how cricket is presented across America,” Sentance said. “With American marketing savvy we could be the NHL, NBA or NFL. If we can get a cadre of cricket fans, it will happen.”